One of the joys of living in the southwest is the access to the countryside that can be enjoyed. Many people will make regular use of the network of paths and trails - for the morning dog walk, for a lengthy weekend ramble or perhaps for something as simple as a shortcut to school – without ever giving their existence much thought.

A Lasting Power of Attorney (LPA) can be put into place by a donor (the person appointing the LPA) at any stage of their life and it allows the LPA to make decisions about both the donors property and financial affairs should they lose the mental capacity to make those decisions themselves.

In this article, written with a mother whose son suffered from a GBS infection shortly after birth, we look at what it is like to bring a case where your child has been affected by GBS.

If you have a claim against someone, it is important that you send a letter to the prospective defendant setting out full details of your claim. This is called a ‘Letter of Claim’ or “Letter Before Action”. 

The majority of people involved in the rented housing sector (both private and public) in England will encounter the Housing Health and Safety Rating System (“HHSRS”) from time to time.

If you have a child or children under the age of 18, you may have thought about appointing a guardian. But what exactly would this entail, both for you and for them?

All too often, family members make promises to other family members relating to their property. Further, in reliance on those promises and assurances, those family members suffer some kind of detriment in expectation of receiving the specified property or assets.

The day-to-day steps taken by attorneys and deputies are quite similar – but there are some important differences. This question-and-answer document may help to answer some of the more frequent questions people have. 

ChatGPT can be a helpful tool to assist with drafting. You provide clear instructions and context for the document you need to draft, and it will come back with some wording which may be a helpful starting point. For parties who want to launch into litigation over a dispute, the temptation can therefore be to try to start that process by using ChatGPT to prepare the letter of claim. However, that can have significant consequences.

For many people, the family home is their principal asset and a question which we regularly get asked by our clients is whether they should give away their property, or whether they should put it into joint names with their children.

Michelle Beckett reflects on the case of Mrs S, where sadly despite her reporting a breast lump and being seen by her GP on 3 occasions, the appropriate action was not taken until the 3rd appointment and it was argued that this negatively impacted on her long term treatment and prognosis.

With the advent of ‘no-fault divorce’ in 2022, many couples are now able to focus on the practicalities and financial arrangements post-separation, rather than get tied up in lengthy arguments about whose fault the relationship breakdown ultimately was. This has led to a rise in the number couples approaching solicitors when they have either reached an agreement, or are very close to doing so.